Category Archives: Chimney Cleaning

Answers from Lansdale PA Chimney Sweep

TOR Chimney and Fireplace is a family business located in the Lansdale PA area. We specialize in a variety of chimney-related tasks, including everything from inspections and cleanings to repairs and installations. We are the trusted Lansdale PA chimney sweep, and we take pride in the homes and businesses of the Lansdale area.

Chimney sweeping is an old profession, and although our company certainly offers a modern take, some of the practices within our business remain mysterious to many people, even when it comes to the more routine jobs like inspections and cleanings. In this blog, we’ll explain what really happens during inspections and cleanings.

Chimney Inspections and Cleanings

A chimney inspection is simple, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. A typical chimney inspection requires no more than a trained professional eye. In an inspection, a chimney technician will examine accessible areas of a chimney for obvious damages or visible problems. Inspections can be more serious if a danger is suspected. In these cases, a video inspection system is used, or in some extreme scenarios, parts of the chimney must be removed to inspect areas of concern. For more details on inspections, please see our inspection service page.

Chimney cleanings are simple if they are carried out professionally. In a cleaning, a chimney technician will use simple tools like brooms, vacuums and cloths to sanitize a fireplace and chimney. In some more serious cases, we will use motorized systems to scrape baked chemicals from the chimney lining. But as long as cleanings are happening regularly and carefully, dangerous chemical buildup shouldn’t become an issue. For more info on our chimney sweeping, please visit our chimney cleaning service page.

Need an Inspection or Cleaning?

If you’re in need of an inspection or cleaning, get in touch with TOR Chimney today. Set up a consultation with us where we can assess your individual needs and provide you with a quote for the things you want done. There’s no time like the present to maintain the safety of your home, so please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll have your back!

Chimney Sweep Yardley PA

We are TOR Chimney & Fireplace, a family business and the chimney sweep Yardley PA trusts. Our specialists are skilled in all aspects of chimney and fireplace upkeep. We provide high quality inspections, cleaning, repairs and installations at competitive prices. Our community is important to us, and we take pride in the homes and business of the Yardley area. Making and maintaining beautiful fireplaces is our stock and trade.

Inspections are an important part of the chimney and fireplace lifecycle. They are a natural part of every job, but they can differ significantly from situation to situation.

Inspection Levels

There are three basic degrees of chimney inspections. These are referred to as levels 1, 2 & 3. These levels of inspection become more and more extreme to accompany the level of the issue or threat at hand. Here is a breakdown of the 3 different levels of inspection.

Level 1: This level of inspection is conducted when a chimney is operating normally. It is a routine, top-level inspection. The technician will inspect accessible areas of the interior and exterior of the chimney.

Level 2: These inspections are required when there are changes made to the heating system. They are more in depth, and will examine accessible areas in attics, crawlspaces and other difficult-to-reach areas. Video inspections will also be conducted using specialty tools.

Level 3: These inspections take place in the direst situations when hazardous chemicals are suspected in the heating system. Level 3 inspections involve the removal of interior and exterior elements in order to access certain parts of the chimney.

To learn more about our inspection levels and practices, please visit our inspections service page.

Get in Touch

If you’re in need of a routine or urgent inspection, please contact us today. Set up a date and time for a consultation, and we can provide you with more specific information. We’d love to open up a conversation with you and prove our excellence.

Chimney Sweep Princeton NJ

We are TOR Chimney & Fireplace, the chimney sweep Princeton NJ residents trust. We fix, inspect, clean, and install chimneys every day throughout the area. In the 16 years since our company started, we have been tirelessly working to develop our relationship with the Princeton NJ community. We love the families and businesses that we service, and we’re always looking to improve the homes and hearths of our town.

It’s important to have a chimney sweep that you can trust. Yearly cleanings, regular inspections, and occasional repairs are par for the course when it comes to chimney upkeep. Ignoring these things can lead to costly problems and hazardous consequences. Chimney fires are a terrifying but easily avoidable issue so long as you keep your home up to code.

Chimney Fire Statistics

Chimney fires are usually a result of creosote buildup in the chute. They light inside the chimney, and can often burn for days before anyone notices. They can cause major damages, pollute air quality, and endanger the safety of your home.

There are roughly 25,000 chimney fires in America every year.

These are responsible for over $125,000,000 in property damages.

Creosote buildup is most common in wood fireplace chimneys.

Creosote can be easily cleaned by a professional chimney sweep.

Chimney fires can be a threat to your health and home. They can be difficult to detect. The easiest way to prevent chimney fires is to hire a professional to clean your chimney on a regular basis. This will eliminate creosote buildup and keep your chimney safe. Please see our blog post on the importance of chimney cleaning for more information.

Chimney Fire Prevention

If you think that your home may be at risk of creosote, chimney fires, or any other hazards, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. We’d love to set up a time to talk with you about your individual needs. When it comes to the safety of your home, there is no reason to be uncertain. So whether it is a cleaning, repair or inspection, let us have your back. You won’t be disappointed.

Chimney Sweep Malvern PA

Fireplaces and chimneys are complex systems that require expert care. But for everything from cleanings to inspections and installations to repairs, there is one chimney sweep Malvern PA trusts. TOR Chimney is a community-focused, family business that has been providing excellent chimney and fireplace service to the area for over 15 years. As we enter into the cool autumn weather, fireplaces are sparking up throughout the suburban streets. It’s a good time of year to review your heating systems, and take account of your firewood and resources.

Today we want to talk about the proper storage and care of firewood. We’ll provide some pointers for keeping your fire wood safe, dry and sanitary throughout the coming months.

4 Tips for Storing Your Firewood

Find a place not on soft soil. By keeping your firewood off of soft soil, you reduce the chances that it will absorb rain, mud and other dampness. This will help to maintain the integrity of your firewood, especially over long periods of time.

Cover your firewood. Unless you have an indoor storage location, you will need to find a basic covering for your firewood to protect it from the elements. A sturdy tarp will do. Make sure that this is fastened to stay in place through heavy weather conditions.

Stack your firewood efficiently. Make sure that your firewood is stacked in an efficient way to maximize storage space.

Find a place close to your home. Keep your firewood within very short walking distance so that it can be easily retrieved in poor weather conditions. The last thing you want is to have to hike through acres of snow for a couple logs.

Make sure that you get the most out of your firewood. To read about the most efficient firewood heating systems available, check out our page on wood fire inserts.

Contact Us

Do you have any chimney or fireplace work that needs doing? Get in touch with us today to schedule a consultation. We’d love to talk about your home and fireplace needs.

Flemington NJ Chimney Sweep Authority

TOR Chimney & Fireplace is the trusted Flemington NJ chimney sweep. We’re a local family business and community staple with over 15 years of success under our belt. We take pride in the Flemington NJ area, and the families and homes that we call our clientele. We specialize in a wide range of fireplace and chimney related services. This list includes installations, makeovers, inserts, inspections, cleanings, and repairs. A lot of expertise goes into completing these tasks, and each one benefits from deep mastery of masonry.

A trained chimney sweep offers much more comprehensive care for your chimney than a general handyman. This is important for many reasons, and your home safety often depends on the quality of care that your chimney and fireplace receive.

Chimney Sweep vs General Handyman

Chimneys are delicate ecosystems that need expert service in order to perform at high efficiency. Due to the nature of the materials burning in many chimneys, dangerous chemicals and flammable residue can build up in your chimney over time if it is not tended to properly. A specialist chimney sweep has a particular set of skills and equipment which allow him or her to effectively sanitize your home beyond the ability of a general handyman. These include…

Cutting edge video inspection tools

HEPA vacuums

Ability to identify the presence of dangerous chemicals

Mechanized rotary systems used to carve out chemicals baked into chimney lining

For more info on the unique skillset of chimney cleaning professionals, see our blog post on why you should leave chimney cleaning to the pros.

Get Your Chimney Swept

If your chimney is in need of a routine cleaning or inspection, please don’t hesitate to contact us for your consultation. If you think there may be some issue with your chimney related to chemical buildup or neglect, please act as soon as possible. It’s never a good idea to take risks with the safety of your home, and we here at TOR Chimney are ready and willing to help. It is important that a professional be involved in the health and safety of your chimney and home. Trust TOR Chimney – you’ll be in good hands.

Info from Mercer County NJ Chimney Sweeps

Hi there! We’re TOR Chimney & Fireplace, a local family business. It is our mission to be the most trusted and effective masons in our community. We are Mercer County NJ chimney sweeps who boast a wide range of chimney and fireplace expertise. Our common contracts include cleanings, inspections, repairs, installs, and cosmetic details. We take pride in the homes of our neighborhood, and take personal interest in every job that comes through our doors. To find out more about our company, please visit our home page and read on.

Cleaning Wood-burning Fireplaces vs. Gas Furnaces vs. Pellet Stoves

Each of the three above systems has its own pros and cons, and each one of them can make a wonderful addition to a home. Although different complications may arise with these systems, as long as the homeowner understands the risks and benefits of each, there is no reason for him or her to worry. Today, we’re going to talk about the issue of regular maintenance and cleaning when it comes to these three options.

Wood-burning fireplaces are by far the most difficult to clean. Due to the chemicals released during wood-burning, soot, creosote, and other dangerous materials can build up in wood-burning chimneys over time. Proper cleaning of these chimneys is important, and should be conducted regularly.

Gas furnaces are easier to clean. Maintenance of a gas furnace or fireplace insert can often be conducted by an informed homeowner with little professional assistance. However, the quality of the air ventilation should be inspected by professionals from time to time to ensure efficiency.

Pellet stoves are fairly simple to clean out routinely. However, the electronic circuitry and fan systems are a bit more delicate and complex. It is a good idea to have a professional take a look at your pellet stove system every once in a while to perform some basic maintenance on the more intricate bits.

Need Your Chimney Cleaned?

Every chimney and heating system is different in the level of maintenance it requires. But all heating systems should be inspected and maintained by professionals from time to time. If you want a trustworthy specialist to inspect or clean your heating system, get in touch with us today and schedule a consultation. We look forward to hearing from you!

Answers from the Trusted Hunterdon County NJ Chimney Sweep

Hello! We are TOR Chimney, the trusted, community-oriented Hunterdon County NJ chimney sweep. Chimney sweeping is an old profession. For the modern home owner, a lot of the details surrounding it can seem mysterious and daunting. Luckily, we are experts on all aspects of the chimney and fireplace life cycle, and we are here to help! We specialize in installations, cleanings, inspections, repairs, and other cosmetic and specialty jobs. Our family business has been a local staple for over 15 years, and it is our primary goal to provide our area with the highest quality of service at the most competitive prices.

One of the services we want to provide is the communication of accurate and current information to our neighborhood and customers. So, we have compiled some of the most frequently asked questions about chimney cleaning below! Read on for answers.

Chimney Cleaning FAQ

How often should I have my chimney cleaned?

Your chimney should be cleaned at least once a year to keep it in safe, working condition. If problems arise, or if you experience issues like soot accumulation or creosote buildup, it should be cleaned more frequently. For more information, see our blog post on chimney cleaning frequency.

Why does my chimney need to be cleaned?

A chimney that is not regularly cleaned will not only hike up your insurance premiums, it will also pose a real danger to your home and family. Toxic and flammable chemicals will build up and damage to your house’s structure may occur. See our blog on the importance of chimney cleaning for more info.

How long does a chimney cleaning take?

This answer will vary greatly from job to job, but an uneventful chimney cleaning without hiccups should take no more than an hour.

What goes into a chimney cleaning?

The short answer is drop cloths, a specialty vacuum, scrubbing, sweeping, and a quick inspection, but please see our blog post on the components of chimney cleaning for more details.

Contact Us Now!

Looking for more specific info? Want to talk about your home’s chimney needs? Or do you simply want to have your chimney cleaned by the pros? Contact us today and schedule a personal consultation for your own chimney. You won’t regret going with TOR!

Who Are We?

We are TOR Chimney, a local family business dedicated to our community. Our robust team of multi-talented experts specialize in all sorts of fireplace- and chimney-related tasks, including installations, repairs, cleanings, inspections, and more. We have proudly served Hunterdon County and surrounding areas for 16 years and counting, and we are considered the trustworthy and skilled craftsmen of choice. When it comes to chimney cleaning, Hunterdon County NJ relies on our chimney cleaning professionals for their excellent service.

Today, we want to tell you about the potential dangers of taking chimney cleaning into your own hands, and well as the benefits of hiring professionals for the job.

Chimney Cleaning: Homeowners vs. Professionals

When it comes to your annual chimney cleaning, it is never a good idea to take the pros out of the picture. Here is a short list of some of the consequences that could result from the lack of professional tools, work, and inspections.

Dangerous chemicals left in chimney

Faults in masonry remain unnoticed and left to worsen

Dust and soot kicked into the air

Home and environment become less safe over time

The work and inspections we perform require a high-tech video inspection system, trained eyes and hands, drop cloths, a HEPA vacuum, and sometimes a mechanical rotary system designed to whip glazed and accumulated chemicals from the chimney lining. For more information on the dangers of these chemicals, check out our blog post on the importance of chimney cleaning.

Reach Out to Us: Chimney Cleaning Hunterdon County NJ

Chimney cleaning is not as easy a task as it seems. A lot of special equipment and knowledge goes into every step. Keep your life simple, and keep your home safe. Leave chimney cleaning to the pros! If you are in need of an annual or off-cycle cleaning, contact us today to schedule your consultation.

Montgomery County PA Chimney Cleaning Experts

TOR Chimney & Fireplace is Montgomery County’s premiere one-stop-shop for all your chimney and fireplace needs. We employ experts in every arena of the chimney and fireplace life cycle – the most regular and important part of which is chimney sweeping and cleaning. Our Montgomery County PA chimney cleaning team is a highly skilled group of people who seek to serve their community first, and love to build long lasting relationships with local families and homes.

Our main goal has always been to provide quality service to our customers, and here we would like to provide you with a little bit of insider info on common industry practices. Today we’re going to talk about the typical process of a chimney cleaning, and learn what exactly it entails.

The Chimney Cleaning Process

A chimney cleaning job may vary based on various variables and circumstances, but a routine sweep from TOR Chimney will almost always look something like this:

Chimney and fireplace vicinity is covered with drop-cloths

A preliminary wipe is performed with a HEPA vacuum to minimize dust

Chimney is swept of remaining soot, dust & residue by brush

Video inspection service ensures that chimney is safe for continued use

In some cases, creosote is baked into the chimney lining and it must be removed by greater measures. For more information, and for a detailed breakdown of our cleaning services, please see our cleaning service page.

Get Your Chimney Cleaned!

TOR Chimney’s sweeping experts advise that you should have your chimney cleaned and inspected at least once a year for safety purposes. Several potentially dangerous elements are known to build up in chimneys over time, and those small cleaning jobs can turn into big repair jobs before you know it. Visit our blog post on the recommended frequency of chimney cleanings to learn all about it.

If you need your chimney cleaned, then please don’t hesitate! Get in touch with us today to set up a FREE chimney cleaning estimate and make sure your home is in tip-top shape.

Montgomery County PA Chimney Repair Experts

At TOR Chimney, we carry out fireplace and chimney-related tasks ranging from cleaning and inspecting to installing and replacing entire chimneys and home elements. We are a local fixture with small-business customer service and attention to detail, and corporate-level prestige and professionalism. For over ten years, we have been the top Montgomery County PA chimney repair team, driven by our great work and our relationship with the community.

If you think there is a problem with your chimney, you may be wondering whether it can be repaired or whether you need to replace the whole chimney. Our experts can help you diagnose your chimney problems and advise you on whether these problems call for repair or replacement.

Replacements VS Repairs

Modern chimneys and fireplaces are built to last. If a portion of a chimney is damaged, it can usually be repaired without too much disruption to the fixture as a whole. In fact, the majority of today’s common chimney issues, including leaks, buildup and blockage, and small cracks or damage, can be solved without having to replace the whole chimney.

There are only a few reasons why we would look to completely replace a chimney:

Age: the chimney is very old, not up to modern standards, and potentially unsafe.

Significant damage: this can include a crack in the lining that extends the full length of the chimney down to the fireplace. Damage like this has the potential to lead to chimney collapse, which can cause more costly structural damage to the home and surroundings.

Homeowner request: the homeowner would like to have a new chimney system installed, maybe during a home renovation project.

If you think that your chimney is experiencing any of these problems, our expert Montgomery County PA chimney repair team can diagnose your chimney issues and help you choose the best solution for repairing or replacing your chimney.

Get the Job Done!

Whether you need help identifying your chimney problems, or you already know what you need, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us and set up a consultation! Our Montgomery County PA chimney repair team would love to meet with you and take the next steps toward getting the job done!